Alice In Arkham OC STORY
by LittleSlytherina
Summary: When children from Hawthorn Sanatorium are temporarily transfered to Arkham. Is it accidental... or was it all part of the plan
1. Intro

I was only 18.

"Good Morning Doctors, Nurses, Patients, visitors and Press"

The faces of small children nervously twitched and stared up at me.

"It has been some 50 years since The very first Hawthorn Sanatorium was open, well before my time" a few laugh.

New Patients who were so much younger than myself.

"I would be honoured to announce that today is the Grand Opening of the Hawthorn Sanatorium"

A nurse grabbed one of the little girl's hands. Her crisp linen dress smelled of bleach. She didn't smile.

"Thank You" she handed one of the guard a box which held a giant pair of scissors.

I cut the ribbon. Cameras flashed. Crowd cheered. Probably glad to lock away their children.

"I hope you enjoy it here Miss..."

She held out her hand for me to shake. Her tiny finger nails were cut so short the skin looked sore with inflammation.

"Deidridge, Alice Deidridge Sir"

Her eyes were dead.

"Well I hope you enjoy your stay at the Sanatorium"

Eyes looking up under blonde hair. Lip quivering

"Truly Delightful I'm sure Mr Wayne"

She was only 10.


	2. Chapter 1

"Alice please look at all the white rabbits!" I turn to the garden and laugh at the tiny blonde girls silliness.

There weren't any white rabbits. The sanatorium didn't permit animals after a child from WARD C had a hallucination and clawed a baby bunny to death. No there were no baby bunnies. "Yes Clair they're beautiful. Don't you ever wish you could be free like them?" this is where I start wanting to believe my level of insanity was as high as my little sisters. So maybe I could see the bunnies too.

The sound of the loud speaker clicked. "Yard time is over for WARDS A and B 10-15 years. Nurses please escort any and all children back to their WARDS. Yard time for WARDS C and B 10-15 years has now started. Have a good day"

A Nurse will come take Clair away from me. She was only 6. Despite the yard times papa had slipped extra money to the Warden so Clair wouldn't be without me.

This particular hospital had been running for only 5 years. Before I was here I was housed at Ironhold Correctional Institute for Children. It is much nicer here.

The hospital has had a grand total of

195 case notes identified from a total of 6573 admissions to IronHold in the years 1854-1900. Two children aged 4 were the youngest to be admitted. Thirty-four were aged 10 or younger.

Four children admitted below the age of 10 were deemed to be suicidal and 10 of those under the age of 10 were deemed dangerous (29%). Forty-two children over the age of 11 were deemed suicidal and 73 (45%) dangerous to others.

Back then I was part of the 29% demographic. Now I take my pills like a good girl and walk around like a Zombie.

Back in my cell it's cold and dark. I am watched by cameras and a nurse comes in and tucks me in. Mandatory nap at times were at 10am for WARDS A and B 10-15 years. 11am For WARDS C and B 10-15 years. 12am for all WARDS B,C,D and E. NO children under the age of 10 may be permitted in Ward A.

I will be given a bath when I wake up. Then they will force feed us. Then electro chock therapy.

I don't like that doctor.

WARD A is where the truly dangerous go. It is for the children who have red in their file. Children like me.

I never talk to anyone but Clair. They think I'm crazy. hahaha I am crazy.

CLICK "All WARD A Nurse report to the dorm rooms. An immediate evacuation has been announced. A fire has started in the left wing of WARD B and is spreading to WARD A. I repeat EVACUATE" All our dorm doors swing open.

Did the power just turn off?

Some children went into a mad panic, screaming and cutting at their restraints. Hallucinating about monsters of fire trying t eat them. I see the fire. The bright light dances on the walls.

Nurses are rushing around sedating children, Guards taking them out by the armfuls.

They get me. I kick them and run through the hallway laughing. I skid down the hall and slam into a door. It flings open and I fall onto the gravel ground, skidding down the path. Blood and grazes on my face and hands. Linen dress covered in dirt.

I ran down the lawns as fast as I can. COME ON. Other children, Older more dangerous children have the same idea and were also running towards the mainland. Hoping there is a mainland past the huge gate... none of us have ever make it that far. Zapped by electric bracelets mandatory for "Yard Time"

Those can't stop us now. I see small children screeching as guards carry them away. I see Clair, grasping more small children. I veer left and get tackled by a guard. I yelp and scramble away snatching Clair from a frightened nurse who doesn't even notice.

I pick up 3 more children on my way to the gates.

WE WERE ALMOST THERE... Almost free.

Guards are chasing me. I push the huge black gates open and keep running. Branches attack my skin. I stumble and trip. One child was on my back, another clinging to my front. They were only small probably three, four maybe five years old.

Clair and a small boy ran next to us, holding my hands tightly.

We reach a gap in the trees. I see it. The city... Gotham.


	3. Chapter 2

Unfortunately for me Hawthorn Sanatorium is on an Island. The only way off is by Ferry or swim to the main land.

The former wasn't an option and the latter seemed silly. That would take at least 3, 4 hours. I also doubted the capability of these kids swimming.

Why did I even have these kids? I've been living in these prisons all my life. I won't let other children have that just because they're different.

Nope. So that's why we are escaping.

"Clair we are going to wait until its' dark out until we go swimming okay?" she nods excited. She loves bath time.

"Everyone we have to be quiet or the nasty nurses are going to take us okay?" the boy I assume is 5 like Clair, maybe older, nods.

I quickly put down the 2 little girls I was carrying and lift Clair into a big bushy tree we hid under. "Quickly" I pass up one of the little girls who I realise are twins. Both girls had beautiful red curls. Clair takes the next too. Last I lift the boy and hoist myself I up.

Guards are coming our way. We stop climbing and stay still... hoping they'll pass. They do.

We sat up in the top of the trees where no one could see us. I nestled my body into the seat like shape the branches made, comfortable I sat the smaller tots in similar positions.

"What's your name?" the little boy asked. He had the palest skin with small green bruises on his frail arms. "I'm Gideon"

I Smiled at the beautiful Boy "I'm Alice and this is my little sister"

"Claire. We know Claire" the two little girls added "we're Dulcie and Primrose"

"Well nice to meet your acquaintances. You should get some sleep before we leave"

Dulcie, Clair and Primrose closed their eyes and Gideon looked at me. "Are we really going home Alice? Going home where we'll see mummy?"

Sadness jumped in my heart but better judgement shoved it out. "I don't think our Mummies want us anymore Giddy" he smiled sadly with me. Understanding what I meant.

He moved closer... the only thought in my head was.

These children won't live the way I have. We will get to Gotham and no one will stop us.

Not even God himself.


	4. Chapter 3

Roughly a couple hours after we escaped alarms started blaring all over the islands. I assume they had rounded up all the kids at hand and checked off who was missing. It was much, much later when we had started to get closer to the cliffs again. Although we didn't go any further, guards patrolled the beach. So we nestled in some bushes waiting.

They probably wouldn't care so much about the little kids dying they were more concerned with the older more dangerous patients escaping the island into civilisation where they would surely cause havoc.

The sun had just started setting and I had gathered the kids and climbed down the rock face to the small cove below. 4 Small sheds sat on the side of the road around the corner from the cove. In them I found numerous building and electrical tools, also a box of small inflatable rafts. I took 3 back to the beach where the twins had started to nod off.

I also brought a couple of large sheets of cloth and a plank of wood as an oar because there were non at hand.

Quickly inflating the orange raft I placed all the little ones in and dragged it into the oncoming waves. Swimming further out into deeper water, passed the break and into a current that would take us out towards the sea and back around the Gotham, or close enough to start paddling in.

I climbed in and sat at the end of the boat using one of the sheets under us, one to wrap around the kids and one to wrap around all of us.

They had all fallen asleep, and I couldn't see a thing in the terrible weather. The frigid wind attacked us, sharp fingers slashing out at my skin. I quickly fell asleep too.

I don't know how long after that is was when small hands grabbed my nose. Gideon's bright green eyes sparkled in the pale moonlight and his skin seemed to glow in the dark.

"I'm cold Ally" Gideon, Dulcie and Primrose cuddled with Clair.

"Come here" I moved the plank to one end of the boat to prop me up so I could see where we were going but was half laying down and sitting up. They cuddled around me and I stroked Gideon's soft hair.

I started to sing the lullaby the nurses used to sing when we couldn't sleep.

A strong wave crashed into us and sent us rocking violently. They squeaked and grasped me "The wind outside has settled my little darlings. It's whispering quietly in your ear" I breathed and sunk lower into the protective sides of our raft. "It calls for you to drift away... into a land of swirling dreams. The rain it patters on your window... dancing on your pane"

Gideon had started to snore quietly, Nestled under my left arm. "Ally look" Claire had moved to the front of the boat and was pointing to bright lights up a head. "Is that Gotham?" I smiled.

The last time I had been there I had been so small. Claire wouldn't even remember, she hadn't even spent a week there. "Hey Prim, LC , Giddy wake up, quick look we're almost there"

Their little heads popped out and looked out over the water. "Where are we going to stay Ally?" I snuggled back down, taking the paddle and slowly steering us towards land.

"I dunno my little White Rabbit" Claire smiled at the name.

Dulcie didn't look so happy "Won't the doctors find us" I held her hand tightly.

"Even if they come banging on my door, even if they barge in, even if they rip you from my arms." I closed my eyes and took a breather "They won't be able to take you from my arms unless I'm dead and I'm not planning on dying any time in the near future." Giddy's eyes were scared... "Hey, don't freight my little door mouse. I'll let you all in on a secret..."

"She's a girl of her word"


	5. Chapter 4

We were waiting for Our Little Alice was late.

"Boss where is she?" I tapped my stop watch and scanned the water. Just off the towards our far left a group of 5 figures climbed, drenched, out of the water onto the filthy wooden docks. Strolling over casually it appeared Little Alice had picked up some ankle biters.

She spat up water and looked up at me, daring me to speak. Her hair was a rich shade of mahogany. It flowed in waves to adorn her glowing, porcelain-like skin. Her eyes, framed by long lashes, were a bright, emerald-green and seemed to brighten the world. A straight nose, full lips - she seemed the picture of perfection. Had she smiled, the world would sigh with contentment. Had she laughed, the world would laugh with her. And had she wept, the whole world would want to comfort her.

"Excuse me Sir may I have a hand?" delicate fingers brushed my gloved hands and I lifted her from the ground as if she weighed no more than a feather. The small children huddled around her legs, all dressed in thin white, see through linen. She covered herself.

I motioned for my men to come forward. They picked up the children who wailed but soon quietened when Alice sent them a terrifying look.

"Why Hello Alice, you're late." She turned and spat up some water her delicate eyebrows raised slightly.

Those beautiful eyes bore into mine "What am I late for?" Her voice was airy and melodic. I wrapped my arm around her shivering shoulder and we walked down the docks with the others in tow. "Oh my little Alice. You're late for the tea party"

Her eyes sparkled "Oh I love tea! Mother said never take anything from strangers" I stopped, mock gasping "BUT ALICE! I have known you all my life. I'm uncle Jervis and you're little Alice"

She nodded as if she truly believed it. Her mind was an unused playground ripe for the destruction.

We arrived at the car and we got in the back. It quickly took off. "Where are my little ones?" I pondered this for a moment.

"They should be arriving at our house this very moment. I've missed you dearly Alice... I'll forgive you for being late." she smiled broadly. The car stopped outside the small 2 story house which was our HQ.

I stepped out and assisted Alice out also. Arms linked we walked up the stone path to the front door, which someone opened for us. As we stepped inside four small children ran forward and hugged her.

I also smiled at them, ruffling their hair. "Who is this Ally?" A tiny miniature Alice tugged at her dress. I bent down close and smiled at her.

"I'm uncle Jervis my dear White Rabbit, oh and look Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, my have you grown! Oh and little Chesh your smile is as wide as the Cheshire Cat's... quite fitting I think" I broke out in a fit of laughter.

Little Alice smiled at big Alice. "Look Ally it's Uncle Jervis"

The small ones were easiest to control.


End file.
